Electrode member



Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRODE MEMBER Application July 17, 1936, Serial No. 91,145

1 Claim.

My invention relates to electrical devices and particularly to electrodes designed to make contact with a liquid.

An object of my invention is the provision of novel contact members for immersion in the liquid to connect the control device in a control circuit, the contact members having electrodes protected by a casing which permits the liquid to reach the electrode but prevents accidental contact with surrounding objects cr with a ground connection from setting the device in operation.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a new and improved electrode device provided with an adjusting element which permits changing the position of the electrode member without altering the length of the conducting elements thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is an enlarged view partly in section showing the electrode adjusting means.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of a sump showing a pump and control device mounted therein equipped with electrodes.

Figure 3 is a central section through a preferred form of electrode.

Shown in the drawing and herein described in detail is the preferred embodiment of the invention, together with a modification, it being understood that the invention is not thereby limited to the specific form disclosed, the aim being to cover all the modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expresseddn the appended claims.

As illustrated by Figure 2 the pump mechanism is set up to pump water out of a conventional collecting basin or sump l0 and operate intermittently as often as the water reaches a certain depth. The collecting basin for water or other liquid is shown depressed into position below the level of a floor H, into which a drain pipe I2 is led to deposit such water as might accumulate on a cellar floor. The sump is shown equipped with a cover l3 resting on a shoulder l4, and in which are provided apertures l5, l6 and I! for accommodation of a shaft housing and electrode wires, to be later described. The bottom l8 of the sump may be constructed of concrete as shown or any material suitable to form a firm foundation for the pump.

A stationary base 20 for the pump rests on the bottom l8 and supports the entire mechanism. The base 20 houses a centrifugal pump of the more or less customary design to which water is introduced centrally through the screen 2|. The water is expelled through the outlet 22 on the side of the base which is connected by the pipe line 23 to a sewer or other means of disposal. A shaft housing 24 forms a supporting column for an electric motor 25 and houses a drive shaft 26, by means of which the'motor is connected with the pump. The purpose generally, as here illustrated, is to collect in one place the accumulation of water and to pump the water out to a sewer or other lead off drain which might be located at an elevation higher than the floor level.

An electric control device 30 is mounted for convenience at the side of the motor 25 seated on top of the shaft housing 24. The electrical connection is made by a feed line 3| plugged into a socket as at 32 from which power is drawn to supply the motor and the control device.

These contact members 44 and 52 are identical and the construction is shown in detail in Fig. 3. A casing 55 which is preferably of an insulating character such as hard rubber, forms the body which has a hole 56 at the topand a bottom opening 5'! closed by a perforated insert 58 which may be screwed or snapped into place. An electric connecting wire such as either the wire 43 or 53, is insulated with a water proof coating and extends through the hole 56 of the casing. The wire is connected at 60 to a copper electrode 59 housed and supported within the casing 55. Perforations in the insert 58 and the holes Bl in the sides of the casing admit water into contact with the electrode but the casing prevents accidental contact in any other manner as by being bumped against the shaft housing 24 or by being grasped in the hand.

Suspended in the sump are contact members 44 and 52 which are connected by means of insulated wires 43 and 53 respectively to the control device. In order that the pump may be adjusted for maintaining different levels of water as desired, the wires 43 and 53 being of a flexible character are provided with adjusting balls 62 and 63 of a more or less conventional design, and can be used to take up the wires in order to elevate or lower the members 52 and 54 in the sump.

As shown in the enlarged view of an adjusting ball, Figure 1, it will be noted that the wire 43 is fed through a hole in the ball in one direction looped around and then fed back through another hole in the ball in the opposite direction so that as tension is applied to the lower end of the wire 43 there is a slight frictional binding at the point of entrance into the ball. The same slight binding is applied on the top side so that as the electrode is suspended in the sump it remains in the position set by enlarging or diminishing the size of the loop. It is further to be noted that the wire 43 is insulated by some waterproof insulation 50 that the inner conducting portion will not be in contact with the liquid in the sump except at the end where the exposed electrode is attached.

In order to reverse the efi'ect of the pumping with pumps and controls of some sorts it need only be necessary to reverse the relative lengths of the electrode wires by taking up on one such as the adjusting ball 63 for example and letting out on the other such as the adjusting ball 62 :thereby making the electrode 44 lower in the sump than the electrode 52 but at the same time without changing the length of the conductors between the electrodes and the control.

Having thus described the invention what is sought to be secured by Letters Patent is:

An electrode member comprising a flexible insulated conductor of constant length secured at one end and an exposed electrode suspended at the other end of said conductor, a perforated guard insulated from the electrode surrounding said electrode suspended together therewith upon the flexible conductor to permit passage of liquid therethrough into contact with the electrode and means located upon said conductor for adjusting the effective physical length of said conductor without changing the conducting length comprising a holding element suspended in a loop of said conductor adapted to retain adjacent strands of the conductor at any predetermined position to vary the effective suspending length of said conductor.

ROBERT D. MCINTOS-H. 

